Sawing apparatus and method



1 631,927 June 1927' w. s. DIETRICH SAWING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Oct. 50, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

1 /20/77 JJ/Z/HZ/I .-1TTORNEY June 7, 1927.

1,631,927 W. S. DIETRICH SAWING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Oct. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CUM/mm J. .F/ZZ F/K/T A TTORNE Y June 7, 1927. 1,631,927

w. s. DIETRICH SAWING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Oct. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet3 A x I J49 4 4: JzgJ i i. I

so -4s 7.5 =,3e 7,5 I 3b 7 I lb 15 14 g i l U 11 IN YEN TOR ATTCIZNE f5 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM S. DIETRICH, OF GREEN VILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREEN- VILLE STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAWING APPARATUS AND METHOD.

Original application filed July 24, 1926, Serial No. 124,616.

Divided and this application filed October 30,

1926. Serial No. 145,351.

This invention as indicated relates to a sawing apparatus and method, and is a division of my application, Serial No. 124,616, filed July 24, 1926, (Patent No. 1,605,816). More particularly it comprises a method of reducing structures of metal plate, wood or composition, or the combination thereof, to sections of predetermined size, and an apparatus especially adapted for cutting such structures to such sizes. It is particularly adapted for reducing to scrap obsolete metal car bodies and the like. Certain features of the invention, as will be noted, are of general application and it is not intended to limit such features to the particular constructions shown and described. This method makes use of the supporting and bracing members of the car body to hold the parts operated upon rigid as the top and peripheral sections are first severed and thereafter intermediate sections and the bottom sections are severed in turn.

Heretofore it has been the practice in reducing obsolete metal railroad car bodies to suitable scrap size to have the operations carried on by a large crew of workmen equipped with suitable cutting devices such as acetylene torches and power drills and compressed air rivet cutters and knockout devices. Such operations require large crews and extensive working space. The time consumed in such operations has been found in many instances to be excessive and the expenses of producing scrap metal have been greater than the value of the material so reduced.

The principal object of the present invention is to obviate the disadvantages referred to and to provide a method and an apparatus which will be extremely economical in operation and which will permit the reduction of such article to predetermined size with a minimum of effort and expense. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus particularly adapted to reduce metal railroad car bodies, particularly those of the gondola type to scrap of charging box size with the elimination of rehandling operations. Another object of the invention is to provide a method which may be carried out by an apparatus which may be transported to such localities as are used for the storage or rehabilitation of metal railway cars, for

use in clearing up the obsolete material at such point wit a consequent saving of large expense for trans ortation of such material by reason of its highly concentrated form. Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the followin description. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention with a gondola railway car shown in dotted lines within the same; Fig. 2 is a top plan view paratus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 elevation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is an end view of an apparatus similar to Fig. 3, but showing in addition the apparatus for loading scrap cars; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of loading device; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a car body showing the method of separating the same into plates of charging box size.

As is clearly shown in the drawing, the apparatus comprises a super-structure 1 comprising standards 2, mounted on suitable pedestals 3 and braced by inclined members 4 supported upon additional pedestals 5. At the upper ends of said standards, longitudinally extending track-ways 6 are provided upon which overhead and inside sawing units, presently to be described, are adapted to be movably supported. Transverse frame members 7 may be provided adjaeent the ends of said track-ways.

Other track-Ways 8, 9 for lateral and end sawing units are provided parallel to said longitudinal track-ways, but on a plane at a point approximately even with the heads of the supporting pedestals. Such trackways may be directly supported from the ground or may be mounted upon a platform pro vided at the tops of the pedestals and supis an end of the apand'iir'zidtipted tomovably' support era! sawing units.

At the end of the-saw mendre, a large .fltieiepparatus mqy be operate zt the iriction,52W. 36,01 the high s'aeed tj'pe, is

ieiniais'vf igsiiqgg i118 been-retina esirat'ile to have thesgnving tints and. l e ohj ect. pp erated'lipon":it'anelviited p5 it: n' s; to provide for the automatic disposal" severedsections without rehandiing. flhis is e rl e b li een ei ts: Q 71 fi' m' fa p r us tw ns seer-b .e ny desired' icoi struction, s it been found lky-b as ng e ailpf. a ite ly tendmgplet vated position I&ll1d onto r endspfi 1 16, as is shown m FigJQ tliat no intermedig.

ate handling operations renecessary, as the platgns soon as severedfronl will carried-by gravity into the scrap e;i rs.; The scrap vcars, z ssho evn, are v standard gauge, track-ways outside p f the pedestals, v

In the form of eonstructionshownin Eig,

thee-erbody, of the side sawing pin s.- Iinplsee, however,

t g t supported: "Tli'si'iw ingy be turned to any .eee ateetsei e rie-i912; .iee n ch a drive zstlii'ougl beve.ed gears as stated. The saw ordinarz Y is intended .to outonly in two positions, vertically and; i. a m y, nieilqc in flev qe 3 .v 1.; er by h .i9tfi.tms gu y e fi zm ya u s t e :4 3 n; rm neecli i-sid; wer-q tiq s. 1 1m sewin J nie- P9F iup n. t longitudinal. beams jorj')" head p1'- ;l11 $id w in n inpr e 1 qn tud e y i s ling earria ge fl npon \vliielna trzi "ersely, I wte' iingez r no e .which sup- 1.

portse frnmeytgidenticgd vitii thejfrzun workheretoforegles ilbfid,,,f0l'll1iiig.j l. part 0f lat all extendingarnun downwardly, extending arrn .is provided. said arm forming an-housing for the drive shaft {t6 freinthe save driving motor L7 At tueend of saidldrive, shaft, :1 swivelling head or, a

5, a large n etalhopper l'f isprovided oe-q rot-staliie gear housing l-S .similarto that math the elevated platform and a serepez r 18 on mstzindard gauge .traelLhet ee-njhe pedestals s adapted to be moved-bee nththe: open end of said hopper. for the reception of,

the scrap plates as the are severed, The individual suwingnuits, as is.olea r ly,sho \yn in Figs. 1, 2 212x13 of the drawing. are 0i; two forms of construction.

In one form,

islprovided for holding .said saw in either, t .trzznsv 'zeor longitudinal;plane. The overhead or inside sawing unitis likewise pro 1c;

adapted t0- be ueec a side sawing sppa: ided wita n11 :=.(lj uSt-illg,)}f0l'l1l forn ovrntus the sun's are carried on arms propicting: a moto,r p z3tfoi'zn ;d hasgczihles 56 iind ing laterally from said units, while in;.t he -a t. -onn terweight 5T,.sii-. ilar to those of the other form of construction 1hr: szz vs ureter srde mvj it I: r

v ed on arn'zs depending vertically from said j lotors' are provided for-moving througl'i units. l 1 .suit bio driving lllCgCilillaLSlH, t elongitudinzil H5 fiisi {Orin 0: ll fingitudimdly rend transversely; moving our "es and for zx'cliiiy; carriage 21 is provided upon Wlficlrfiurning the worm shaft The mogu i a trar-rversely truYeEi-nsz carriage 22 preferabi electric motors 1:115. controller mounted. A vcrt C211 {rill GB work 23 is se-i zboxes-areprovided at-suitabic positions.

cured to said transversely traveling carriage, For sawing ne-tel railroad eerz'sioi'- the r embodies in its construct on :1. Worm gondoia type ithas beeugiound desirable to 9'1 mounted within the same and engaging: provide two side sawing}; units on each side :i movable frame 25 upon which :1 sun driv= 'of the apparatus and two overhead or inside ing motor 26 is supported. Cables are saw ng units. Suelrarrangcment permits lit) connected with said inoior supporting; plat-- form and at the r oppositecnds are attached to a 1:: 2S \vith-aview of permit; ting i c it e:.. adjustment of said motor and its aiso ted meclmnisin' to be made with a minimum 0 etfort. A laterally extendingarni '29 is connected with the motor.

supporting frame, said 21'! forming a .housing fozpthe motor drive sl z-" t At the Outer end of said housin swiveling; head or rotzitable gear housing 32 is .nxounted units andthen aseries of such cuts progressively. The vertical cuts are preferably made first for. half the depth of, the gondola ,car. and at suitable spaced intervals to provide plates of standardcharging box width, When the vertical cuts havebeen made from the top edge of the .car to a pos tion approximately midwayi thereof, h side saws are turned at right'angles, from a verticalto a horizontal position, and the horizontal cuts arethenunade through the sides and ends at a distance to provide plates of standard'charging boxlengths, the plates being droppeddn' rapid succession as 'they are severed from the ,car, body into .'the hoppers or thedistributing means disclosed in F igsgt andb and moving t-henceby gravity. into the scrap; .cars. lVorkn eu may be, stationed atsuitable points, to. assist in the distribution of -the scrap and loadingof the fcars Aiterthe upper .portion of theside and ,end walls of the cars have. been severed,-the process is repeated. with respectto the lower. half ofsaid'side and end portions. The trans ersely moving carriages. v are moved in on their respective track-ways so as to positionsaidsaws adjacent the ends f he-car body when Sa dSlde uni s m k the horizontal cuts across the respective ends. v i 1 The'overhead and insidev sawing units are then moved transversely and longitudinally, as soon as the sides and ends. are removed, sever the marginal portions and then the central portion of the bottom of the car body into plates of suitable size. ,The marginal or transverse cuts in the bottom may also be made by the side sawing units if desired.

After the car bodies have been reduced to scrap, the supporting frame and running gear may be dismantled or such parts may be moved to another position and salvaged as may seem proper.

The reduction of car bodies to scrap plates, as has been stated, has been an oper ation conducted in many instances at a loss because of the heavy costs for labor and the extended space required for carrying on such operations. By the use of an apparatus which reduces a car body to scrap within a spoce of approximately 20 minutes and with a crew of notover six operators, such operations, in many instances, may be carried on at a profit.

The provision of swiveling heads for supporting the saws makes it possible to operate with fewer units and requires less space. The carriages as stated may be moved longitudinally and transversely by any desired mechanical means but are preferably driven by electric motors. They may be solidly anchored at such positions by suitable clamping or bra-king mechanism, such as track gripping clamps of Well known conregards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated byany. of the followingclaim s or, their equivalent be em- .tl1erefore particularly pointout and distmctly claim-as my invention:

1, An apparatus; of -the character de-zf scribed having in combination a trackway,

abovewhich a unit of railway rolling stock to beoperated on may, be-retained in posi-.

tion principally .byitsownweight, a track- I way-extending parallel to saidfirst-named trackway,:a .high speed friction sa\v unit movablymounted on said last-named trackway, and means fortraversingsaid saw at right angles to said second trackway.

2. An. apparatuseof the character de I scribed having n combination a; trackway above which a .unitof railway-rolling stock to be operated on may beretained inposi- .tion prmci ally by its own weight, a trackway exten lug-parallel to said -first-named trackway, ahiglrspeedfriction saw unit movably mounted on said last named trackway, means. for adjusting said saw to operate in ditlerent cutting planes,- means for moving said saw along said trackway, and means for traversing saidsaw at right angles to said trackway.

3. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a trackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock to be operated on may be retained in position principally by its own weight, a trackway extending parallel to said first-named trackway, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted on said last-named trackwa and means for traversing said saw at rig it angles vertically and horizontally to said second trackway.

4. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a trackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock to be operated on may be retained in position principally by its own weight, a trackway extending parallel to said first-named trackway, on either side thereof, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted on each of said last-named trackways, and means for traversing said saw at right angles to said second trackways.

5. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a trackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of which is to be reduced to sections, may be retained in position principally by its own weight, a trackway extending parallel to said first-named trackway, a

URI

cutting unit movably mounted on said last-' named trackway, means for traversing said unit at right angles to saidsecond trackway, and means beneath the horizontal plane of said first-named trackway for receiving severed sections of said unit of rolling stock, and conveying them to a predetermined point. 6. An apparatus of the character described having in:combination' a' trackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of-which is'ztobe reduced to sec tions, may be retained in-positionprinci pally by its own weight, a track-way extend-f ing' parallel to said first na'md trackway,'a* cutting'unit m'ovably mountedon 'said la'st named trackway';-means-"for traversing said unit-*p'arall cl fto and at i right angles to said second -trackway, -fa ncl means? beneath "the horizontal plane "off'sa'id "first name'd track'- wayforreceivingsevered sectionsof "said unit of "rolling emen and convey'ing them to a predetermined pointf*" i 5 7'. -An'- apparatus of the eli'aracter de scribed'having in combinatio'n a' trackway,

above which ai nit'of ifiailwafrolling stock,

the body of which-isto be operated upo'n,

may be retained'in 'positionuprincipally by its own'weight, a'traclrway positioned in a horizontal plane" above lsai'df'first-nam'ed' trackway, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted on saidjlast-named trackway, means for'traversing said 'saw'at right angles to said-second trackway.

8.-An apparatus of -the character del scribed having in combination a trackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of which is to be, operated upon, may be retained in position principally by its own Weight, a trackway positioned in a horizontal plane above said first-named trackway, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted on'said last-named trackway, means for changing the angular position of said saw to operate'in different cutting planes, and 'fmeans'for traversing said saw parallelto and at right angles to said second trackway.

9. In a'method ofrediicing aunit of railway rolling stock to sections while support .ed and retained in position, principally b I its own weight, -th'e=step of noving' a higi speed "friction"saw'.thereagainst, and trav rsing said saw' 'relat ive tosaidcar body to form lines of separation therein.

railway rolling s'tock' to"section's Whil'sflpported and retained in position,-"princi pally by its own weight, the; step of moving a high speed friction'sa'w thereagainst in two sections therefrom.

railway rolling stock to sect-ions while supported and retained in position, principally by its own weight, the step of moving a high speed friction saw thereagainst in three directions successively to sever platelike sections therefrom. r

Signed by me this 29jday of October, 1926.

\VILLTA M S; DIETRICH.

' 10. In a method'of reducing a' unit of directions successively to" sever plate-like IL-I'n amethod of reducing a unit of 

